AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, there’s a smaller, grassroots group known as D.C. Animal Friends who’s been doing more than protesting recently. The CEO of Expert Chemical has been siccing his lobbyists all over Capitol Hill, saying this group is stealing specimens and exposing them to corporate espionage.”
Shit. I really don’t want to go back to that place. Not even on a special assignment.
“So you want me to go there and keep an eye out? They need my expertise?”
“Not exactly,” she says. “Here’s where the personal matter comes in.”
Ms. Dunne turns from me and nods at the wall to no one in particular. The elevator doors open. I nearly trip over myself as I shoot to my feet in the presence of the Speaker of the House.
“Senator Potter, this is Gunther MacGregor. He’ll be taking care of your little problem.”
My mouth goes dry as the man third in line to the presidency strolls confidently forward and shakes my hand. “Senator,” I rasp, shifting my glass to the other hand to shake his. “Pleased to meet you.”
He nods and gestures for me to sit. He grabs one of the comfortable seats and leans forward, his elbows on his knees, like this is a team meeting.
“Son, I’m running behind; I have to be at the Capitol five minutes ago, so I’ll get right to the point. I need you to keep an eye on my niece.”
Ms. Dunne goes to her desk and turns around a computer monitor for me to watch some footage. The camera follows a group of young people at night, creeping through the manicured shrubbery I recognize from my years at Expert Chemical.
The senator points at the screen. “Do you see that girl right there?”
I lean in and squint. I see a short girl wearing a ballcap, bib overalls, a backpack, and a mask. “Yes.” In the grainy footage, the only thing identifiable is her height and long hair in a braid hanging over her shoulder and down her chest.
“That is my niece, Sara. God knows why she wastes her time with those gutter punks, doing vandalism, and committing theft, when she could be attending an Ivy League school, but here we are.
“It took a lot of convincing to keep Expert Chemical from pressing charges when they I.D.’d her. But…” Here the senator sighs like this young woman is the disappointment of his life. “Her mother didn’t set a good example, which was out of my control.”
“And you need me?”
He nods. “I’d like you to watch her. Make sure she’s not planning another stunt. I’d like you to ensure she doesn’t end up in jail. All it takes is one reporter digging into her background to figure out she’s my niece, and pretty soon, people will be asking…uncomfortable questions. You understand.”
Sure, I understand. But why me? And “gutter punks”? Who talks like that? I already didn’t like the guy after watching him on C-SPAN, and now I personally don’t like the guy. But a job’s a job. And it’s my first special assignment at Sentinel, so I’ll take it. Not that I have a choice. Pretty sure.
“Absolutely. I’ll keep her out of trouble for you, Mr. Speaker. Whatever you need.”
He shakes my hand as he stands to leave, and notices my tie tack. “Navy man. My daddy was a Navy man. I like you already, Mr. MacGregor. Take care of my girl, okay? The only thing is…keep your distance. She’s skittish. Tends to overreact. A hysterical type. You know what I mean. She’ll react…badly…if she knows I’ve sent someone to watch out for her.”
I nod and assure him I will. Even if the Speaker is a bit of a misogynist, classist, and has the handshake of a dead fish.
* * *
When I leave the office, Ms. Dunne’s goons take me to a different corner of the building, fitting me with a real gun and a better Kevlar vest.
“Really, fellas? To watch a teenager?”
The men say nothing, but exchange a look.
I don’t know what they’re not telling me, but this seems pretty dull for a first assignment. I doubt I’ll need this much firepower or protection.
On the other hand, it’ll be an easy way to move up the ladder. I’ve never been a personal bodyguard before, so I might as well get my feet wet.
When the big boys are done with me, I make my way north and east through the city by rail, bus, then on foot to a row of rundown townhouses that match the address Ms. Dunne gave me. The Speaker has family living here? This can’t be right. Then I remember that unsavory term he used to describe her friends. She keeps company he finds unworthy. I look around and decide that yep, this is her choice. It seems like Sara Peters chooses to live in a neighborhood where dudes are cutting lines of coke on the hood of a car in the middle of the day. Well, then.
I wasn’t given any specific instructions other than to lay low, which won’t be too difficult. Lots of people hanging around doing not much of anything here. I’m anonymous. A chameleon. I might as well be vapor. Sara won’t know I exist.
I find a park bench near the bus stop and stake out Sara’s building.
After about twenty minutes of waiting, Sara emerges, bounding down the crumbling brick steps. I know it’s Sara Peters because she wears the same bib overalls as she did in the camera footage, her hands shoved deep in her pockets. She brushes right past me, so close that I scent her citrusy shampoo.
